


Reading Material

by AngstOfDestiny



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Bad Spelling & Grammar, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Someone gets dressed down for this, canonverse, mentions of porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 06:53:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6971218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngstOfDestiny/pseuds/AngstOfDestiny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi's peaceful evening gets interrupted by late summons from Erwin. Did a Wall breach? Did Titans attack? Was there mess left in the mess hall? No! The truth is even more terrifying.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reading Material

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A26](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A26/gifts).



> Initially it was supposed to be smut, but Levi got distracted... 
> 
>  
> 
> For Commander Gorgeous and her majestic eyebrows.

The night was silent and Levi was perfectly content to lounge with a cup of tea in front of his fireplace. He hadn’t had anything to do left and was determined to savor the rare free evening, as he wasn’t sure when such a luxurious moment happens next time. His reports were done and stacked neatly on Erwin’s desk, his soldiers were fast asleep, the castle was clean to his standards and until morning he didn’t have to worry about a single thing. So he just sat, sipping his tea, thinking about nothing and watching the flames silently dance over coals. It was perfect. 

Suddenly silence was broken by a rapt knocking at his door. As relaxed as he was, it took Levi a few precious seconds to register the noise that interrupted his tranquil rest. When he did, however, his smoothed out features turned into his trademark scowl as he rose to his feet to get the door. It was apparently too much to hope for one undisturbed evening. 

“This better be important”, he snapped opening the door to reveal a young, frightened cadet who looked like he was trying to make himself as small and inobtrusive as possible. It didn’t help much, as the boy still was over a head taller than the Capitain, but judging by his expression he felt like he was faced with at least twenty-meter titan, despite Levi’s small frame. 

“It’s the Commander, sir”, the boy said quietly, obviously forcing each word. “He…” 

Levi’s scowl deepened. Why was that fucking brat wasting his time instead of stating the problem? 

“Out with it, cadet.” 

“He requests your presence, sir. Immediately, he said, sir.” 

“Tch.” Was it so difficult? “Fine, you’re dismissed.”

The Captain briefly wondered what it was about. He was  _ done _ for today, for fuck’s sake. But if Erwin summoned him - he glanced at his clock - at 2 am, it was probably important. Maybe he got some late correspondence that demanded immediate reaction. Maybe there was a breach or some serious accident. He didn’t dwell on that too long, however. He would know soon enough. 

The way to Erwin’s office wasn’t long, as the room was situated next to officers’ living quarters. Levi entered without knocking, never the one to waste time and energy on unnecessary politeness and the view that greeted him wasn’t something he expected. 

He was prepared to see stone-faced Erwin, who’d greet him solemnly with furrowed eye-catepillars. The Commander’s eyebrows were furrowed, that’s true, but here similarities ended. His usually impeccable hair stood on every direction, as if Erwin was running his hand through it all evening, and his expression was far cry from his usual Commander mask. In his right hand he was clutching some document, pacing nervously along the room. If Levi had to find a word to describe it he would say he looked frustrated…  But it couldn’t be right. Erwin was  _ never  _ frustrated. 

He stood silently for a bit, waiting for the Commander to notice him, but when that didn’t happen he cleared his throat. Erwin stopped in his tracks, startled and looked at Levi in surprise. 

“Levi. Here you are.”

“You’ve send for me.” The Captain shrugged. “This better be important. I don’t have too many free evenings.”

“It’s…” Erwin waved the paper he was holding and pushed it into Levi’s chest with an exasperated sigh. “What the hell is that, Levi?” He demanded.

The Captain peeled the sheet of his shirt to look at it carefully, then furrowed his brow even more.

“It’s my mission report, Erwin. I believe I left it for you after dinner today, just as you requested.”

“You call that a mission report? Damn, Levi, I cannot work with that. I simply can’t!” 

It was unusual to see Erwin so agitated. What peeved Levi even more was that he simply couldn’t understand what was this whole mess about. 

“What’s fucking wrong with that?”  He asked, more than a little annoyed. He slaved over the damned document two evenings, rewriting it five times because of ink blots that made the whole thing unreadable and was pretty satisfied with the final effect. Now here he was, watching Erwin wave his long-ass arms in irritation, being shouted at for no apparent reason, instead of getting his hard earned rest. 

“What’s wrong with that?” Erwin tore the paper from his hands, running his eyes over the letters. “ _They’re gear, horzes, three branch, alot, affect of titans’ falling, pique of a jump, squid leader_ … and what’s that chicken scratch here?” 

Levi narrowed his eyes at the offending word. 

“I think… it’s… “ He hesitated, unsure. “Saddle?” He finished uncertainly. 

“You think?” Erwin rubbed his eyes with a free hand, looking like he suddenly gained ten years. “Are you telling me, that even you can’t read that?” 

Levi huffed indignantly. 

“Of course I can. It’s definitely ‘saddle’”, he answered, faking certainty. It was, however, more of an educated guess than anything else, as the signs resembled  flattened earthworms rather than actual letters. 

“Levi, I know when you’re lying.” Erwin’s voice was stern. “It can’t be like that anymore. It takes me several times longer to decipher your reports than anyone’s else. It throws me out of my rhythm and disturbs my work.” 

The Captain shrugged. 

“I’ve learned to write just so you can have your reports. I could tell you everything instead, it would be faster, but you were the one to insist that it has to be on paper. So now you have it on paper, I don’t see what’s the problem.”

“Levi, you have to work on your grammar. And spelling. And calligraphy. It’s essential for the Survey Corps’ functioning that the documents you give me are legible.”

“Tch.” The Captain shrugged, pretending that Erwin’s words didn’t affect him, but he turned away from his superior, not really able to look him in the eye. It was kind of humiliating to be called on his incompetence like that and Levi felt the treacherous warmth on his cheeks. “I don’t have time for that”, he spat, trying to mask his uneasiness.

“Then make time”, the order in Erwin’s voice was unmistakable. “I need my officers literate. It’s not an option.” 

Levi stubbornly refused to acknowledge the order or to look at his Commander’s face. Erwin, sensing the tension, approached him and laid a warm hand on his shoulder. 

“Levi, I know it’s difficult”, he started again, his voice much softer. “And I appreciate the effort you have put in it so far. It’s just… I really can’t work like that. I wouldn’t ask it of you otherwise.”

“You should’ve thought about that before you tricked me into service”, Levi grumbled, still not looking up. “A smart man like you could have guessed that an uneducated thug isn’t much of a soldier material.”

“Levi…” Erwin sighed deeply and kissed gently his Captain's neck. “I get it, you weren’t schooled, you had different priorities. But it doesn’t make you any worse. On the contrary, you already overcame much more than anyone else. You’re strong and dedicated and dutiful and if I had more soldiers like you, humanity would already be free. The fact that you learned to read and write only after enlisting doesn’t cancel any of that. You’re my trump card, Levi. You just need to polish some of your skills.” 

Levi finally turned back to Erwin, raising his head to look at the Commander. 

“You mean that, or is that another of your schemes to get what you want?” He asked softly in a rare show of vulnerability. Erwin touched his cheek in gentle caress, looking him deep in the eye. 

“I mean every single word, Levi. I respect you more than anyone else. I would never humiliate you with a manipulation attempt. You’ve suffered enough of that.”

Levi stayed quiet, searching Erwin’s face for any sign of deception, then, finally deciding that he saw none, stood on his toes and pressed his lips to Erwin’s. The Commander, a little bit taken aback by his action, took a moment to respond. While they have been lovers for some time now, and Levi was never ashamed to demand what he wanted, he was still reluctant when it came to this kind of gentle affection. But it wasn’t in any way unwelcome, so Erwin wrapped his arms around Levi’s lithe body and pulled him closer, reveling in soft tenderness of the kiss. 

Suddenly Levi pulled away, looking up with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“You know, if you want me to learn... “ He trailed his hands down Erwin’s chest and hooked his fingers into his waistband. “I might need a little bit more… incentive.”

“Holy Sina, Levi”, Erwin chuckled nervously. “You sound like a character from the cheesiest porn novel I’ve ever read.” 

Levi, who was already leaning up for the next kiss, with eyes already hooded and promising suddenly dropped on his feet, looking at Erwin in confusion. 

“Like a character… what?” He asked incredulously, watching his lover like he saw the man for the first time in his life. Erwin suddenly felt very self-conscious. 

“A character… in a porn novel”, he repeated with an uncharacteristic stammer. 

“What?” Levi repeated and Erwin turned his eyes away, not able to look straight at his Captain at the moment. 

“Porn novel… It’s… Well, these are stories, focused on characters having sex, usually very… graphic”, he explained reluctantly. 

“Erwin…” Levi interrupted with an amused drawl. “Believe or not, I’m familiar with the concept of porn. Though I saw rather pictures than stories.” 

“Then… What are you really asking me?” Erwin finally managed to turn to his lover again, despite the unnerving warmth in his cheeks. Levi was squinting his eyes and the left corner of his lips trembled slightly, showing to the trained eye that he was deeply enjoying himself at the moment. 

“I’ve never pegged you one to read fiction for pleasure”, Levi drawled. “Especially not explicit fiction. And this kind of pleasure.”

“Are you laughing at me?” Erwin managed somehow to sound slightly offended. Levi shook his head, but this almost invisible smirk only deepened. 

“Me? Laughing? If I did something like that, we’d already had Hanji here, asking if the world was ending.” The Captain tilted his head slightly. “Probably with half of the Corps, completely terrified and asking if I finally lost it.” 

Erwin chuckled quietly. While he doubted that Hanji had  _ this  _ good of a hearing, the vision seemed accurate enough. 

“So, if you’re not laughing, what’s with this face?” He asked, because Levi still wore this slightly amused expression that in his experience was Levi’s equivalent of resonant guffaw. 

“Oh, I’m just surprised,  _ Commander _ .” The drawl send shivers down Erwin’s spine. “And I wonder where you keep your collection of dirty reading. Under bed, perhaps? In the bed stand? Or maybe…” He looked around with a roguish glimmer in his eyes. “Here, in your office, so you can jerk off while pretending you’re working?”

Erwin fancied himself a very composed man. He was able to keep his emotions and expressions in check, it was a prerequisite to be a successful politician. And Erwin was sure he was one. That meant that the treacherous blush that painted his face and neck at the moment was something deeply ouf of character for him, something that shouldn’t have happened and indeed hadn’t in years. 

Levi chuckled softly, the sound almost inaudible, unnoticeable, like every Levi’s expression of mirth. 

“I’ve got you,  _ darlin’ _ , haven’t I?” He whispered, standing on his toes to reach Erwin’s ear. And then, suddenly dropping back on the floor he demanded: 

“Show me. Now.” 

With a defeated sigh Erwin turned to his bookshelf and dropped to his knees, to shuffle through the lowest shelf by the window. He took out several books from the front row, laying them on the ground and dig deeper, into the hidden second row of books. 

“Just under our maps…” Levi observed, referring to the second lowest shelf, which, in fact housed maps they used to plan expeditions. “Who could tell that our dignified Commander has such a dirty mind…” 

“Levi… You’re enjoying it too much”, Erwin commented, glad that his Captain couldn’t see his face right now. 

“Oh no, I believe I’m enjoying it exactly the right amount, considering that you interrupted my free evening to scold me about grammar. I could be already asleep, you know?” 

Erwin snorted. 

“If I believed for a second you’d be asleep, I wouldn’t call for you. I know intimately how much you sleep, remember.”

He finally produced a few tomes and handed them to Levi. 

“Here. I’ve got more, but I don’t want to crawl before you more than I have to.” 

“You’re lying. You love to crawl before me.” Levi’s lips twitched again as he accepted books, wiping the covers from dust with a slight disgust. “Tch. You should let me clear this pigsty once in a while.” 

“Now that you know what I’m hiding here, I might as well.” Erwin answered with a sour note to it. 

Levi slightly raised his brow, looking at the Commander who was standing up slowly. 

“You were afraid I’ll find it?” He asked in surprise. “After everything we’ve done together?”

Erwin looked at the floor, again feeling urge to avoid Levi’s eyes. That was starting to get troublesome. 

“Some of these stories are more… emotional than others.” 

Levi pursed his lips into a thin line. Erwin knew he was hiding a smile and that made him even more nervous. 

“So, not only porn, but romance too, Erwin?” 

“I thought you’d judge me.” Came an unexpected answer. This time Levi actually cracked a little smile, even if it was gone in a blink of an eye. 

“I  _ do  _ judge you”, he answered flippantly. “But then, I always knew you’re a big sap, so my opinion doesn’t change.” 

“I’m relieved to hear that”, Erwin quipped sarcastically, looking at his tiny Captain, as the man thumbed through one of the books, sitting down on a couch. 

“She lifted her skirt fli… rtatously, showing him...  a glimpse of a round shin… and tiny feet shod in...  cute red slippers. You want to… see more, sir, she asked… shyly and Trant nodded enthu… siastically.” Levi read out loud, slowly, with the uneven pauses of a man unaccustomed to the written text, then looked up at Erwin with one brow raised again. 

“You get off to that shit?” 

Erwin shrugged. 

“You might find the next one much more to your liking. It’s about two buff men, no women in red slippers in it.” 

Levi lifted his brow even higher, but obiedently opened the second book on a passage once marked by the Commander.  This time he read quietly, his cheeks getting slightly rosy in the candlelight. After a moment he snapped the book closed and rose on his feet.

“Tch. Disgusting,” he commented, making for the door. The books were still in his hands. 

“Where are you going?” Asked Erwin, slightly rattled. 

“To my room, where else?” Levi answered in his usual, bored monotone, like he wasn’t teasing the Commander moments ago.

“And the books?”

“You wanted me to practice, so I need some reading material.” The Captain shrugged and in a blink of an eye slipped outside, closing the door quietly. 

“You could’ve asked for some textbooks”, Erwin commented dumbfounded, but Levi was already gone, leaving him with an odd feeling of abandonment.  


**Author's Note:**

> It was unbeta'd so sorry for any typos or errors. And yes, I get it's ironic to have bad grammar in this story. I can't help it.


End file.
